Paraguay RPCV Toren Volkmann writes Our Drink: Detoxing the Perfect Family
Detoxing the Perfect Family
A Book by Chris Volkmann and Toren Volkmann
Bottles and Cans
Our Drink, Detoxing the Perfect Family by Chris and Toren Volkmann
Summary
A mother and son discuss the effects of high school and college binge drinking on their lives when he discovers he’s an alcoholic at 23 years-old. This ‘Perfect Family’ offers help to other families, colleges, and groups who are faced with the effects of school age social drinking.
Chris VolkmannAbout the Authors
Author Chris Volkmann, a former classroom teacher, a recipient of the 2001 Washington State Artist Trust GAP Literary Grant, lives in Olympia, Washington. She attended University of La Verne, Université d’Aix-En-Provence, and graduated in Elementary Education and French from Washington State University (’70).
Her recent book, OUR DRINK: Detoxing the Perfect Family, (co-authored with her 24-year-old son Toren) will be released this August 2004. Their website http://www.ourdrink.com emphasizes honest talk about alcohol choices and the consequences of heavy drinking. It has assessments for family members to find out how well they are communicating about drinking choices. There are separate questions for teens and adults.
She has formerly published THE LAST STRAW: A HANDBOOK OF SOLUTIONS TO SCHOOL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, R & E Research Associates, Inc, San Francisco, CA, 1978. Chris plays viola with the Olympia Symphony Orchestra and has run ten marathons. Her three sons are all now in their twenties. She resides with her husband of thirty-four years (still under his original warranty!) in Olympia, Washington.
Chris went to Toren’s college graduation having no clue her son was part of a not-so-hidden epidemic. She shares what every parent thinks but cannot always say.
Toren VolkmannAuthor Toren Volkmann graduated with a BA in psychology. He was a former Peace Corps Volunteer. He dabbles in music, both composing and performing.
His recent book, OUR DRINK: Detoxing the Perfect Family, (co-authored with his mom) will be released this August. Their website http://www.ourdrink.com features honest talk about alcohol choices and the consequences of heavy drinking. There are assessments for family members to find out how well they are communicating about drinking choices with separate questions for teens and adults, and also assessment tools to determine if someone has a drinking problem.
In Our Drink, Toren grips the story with the bite of an addict’s hidden desperation. His edgy writing wanders within itself, giving the reader the feeling of chaos and inner turmoil behind a demeanor of courage. Toren currently lives one day at a time in New York City after successfully completing six months residence in a Florida halfway house
